Agricultural seed planting is typically accomplished by multi-row planters. Each planter includes a plurality of row units adapted for opening a seed furrow, depositing seeds within the furrow, and closing the seed furrow around the seeds. In some cases, each row unit of the planter also is adapted to open a fertilizer furrow, deposit liquid fertilizer in each fertilizer furrow, and close each fertilizer furrow.
Each row unit of the planter may include a chassis that supports furrow opening discs and furrow closing or press wheels. As each row unit travels along the planting area, the row units may encounter debris, for example, root balls, cobbs, stalks, etc. This debris (also referred to as “trash”) may interfere with the operation of the row unit. In some instances, the debris may be caught or lodged between the chassis and the ground, which may result in the row unit dragging the debris throughout the planting area. The caught or lodged debris may further result in debris buildup in front of the row units. The caught or lodged debris, along with any debris buildup, may adversely affect seed placement and/or liquid fertilization distribution. For example, uneven seed placement may result in some seeds being placed too deep or too shallow within the furrow. Also, uneven seed placement may result in some seeds being offset from a row, which may cause the seed to receive inadequate fertilizer and/or water and/or to be trampled by people or equipment if the seed is able to germinate. Similarly, if the liquid fertilizer is offset and is unevenly distributed, some seeds may not receive any fertilizer and may not germinate and others may receive too much fertilizer and may die. Further, the caught or lodged debris, along with any debris buildup, may create trenches in the planting area, which may redirect water flow in the planting area, cause erosion of the planting area (e.g., water erosion), or result in other unintended consequences that may adversely affect the yield of the planting area.